Sr. Cards earn back ‘bragging rights’

The bragging rights have swung back over the Senior Cardinals after their 2-1 victory over the Junior Cardinals last Wednesday evening at the United Communities Credit Union Complex’s premiere diamond.

With the win, the Sr. Cards win the season series between the two squads 2-1.

“We owed them one,” said Sr. Cards Justin Wood. “It wasn’t a butt whooping but we owed them one. They’re a good team.”

The Seniors sent Mike “Junior” Purdie to the mound while Will Goudrea took the ball for the Juniors.

It was defiantly a pitchers duel, as both pitchers wouldn’t allow base runners.

The Juniors threatened to score the games first run in the third after Tim Vignuex smacked a double into left field with two out, however Purdie struck out the next batter to end the inning.

The Seniors would get their chance to score a run in the bottom of the forth inning when Mark Beaudoin reached second base after leading off the inning with a walk, but the Senior couldn’t drive in the run after a strikeout and two consecutive pop flies to center field.

In the middle innings a steady rainfall plagued the teams, making the ball harder to grip and the field slippery.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Wood singled into the gap with two outs. The speedy base runner stole second. Matt Spargalo took the base on balls and Trevor Mulder’s single up the middle drove in Wood and Spargalo later scored on an error to give the Seniors a 2-0 lead.

The Juniors would cut the lead in half in the top of the sixth inning when Mike McNoran scored on a costly Sr. Cards throwing error.

The Juniors would have one last chance to tie it up in the top of the seventh inning but relief pitch pitcher Nick Price would shut the door to give the Seniors the important win.

Coach Ken Thrasher admits that the game may not have been exciting but “a win is a win.”

“We did what we had to do tonight,” he said. “We wanted to get a few more guys on the mound. Their pitcher did a really good job.”

Thrasher also added that the lack of hitting has become worrisome as the Seniors approach OBA’s however Thrasher said he expects the team to turn it around in the upcoming weeks.

“Hitting will come and go, we just have to get it going again,” he said.

Goudrea said at first the rain was a little difficult to play in but when adjustments were made things seems to work out.

“It’s hard to pitch in the rain,” he said. “When it’s a slow dribbler you have to move to it a little quicker.”

Goudrea mentioned he was hoping to close the series out with a win but after three very closely contested games against the seniors this year, he believes Amherstburg will have a solid team for years to come.